


The Game

by Kuukivi



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-16
Updated: 2012-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-31 07:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/341345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuukivi/pseuds/Kuukivi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upsetting things overheard in the bathroom lead to interesting games..<br/>Sequel to Shindou's Go and The World Outside Go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Game

The Game

Several days later, Toya Akira sits inside the furthest stall in the men’s bathroom at the Go institute trying to become invisible. Quietly he lifts his knees up into his chest to prevent them from revealing his presence and tries not to make a sound. Behind the door only a few meters from him Shindou Hikaru and Waya Yoshitaka are talking about him. Actually they are not talking as much as they are shouting at each other.

“I just don’t get it!” Waya’s voice sounds irritated and stinging. “He’s such a creep, Shindou! The way he’s always so intense around you.”

Shindou’s temper seems to be rising and the tone of his voice makes Akira feel sweaty in his suit.

“We are rivals, you know...” Shindou says and hearing it from his mouth makes Akira smile inwardly.

“Sometimes it seems more like he was in love with you,” Waya blurts with a mocking voice and then there is a brief silence as Shindou catches his breath dumbfounded.

“What the hell are you trying to say, Waya? And what is your problem anyway? Jealous, huh?”  
Shindou slams the door open and storms away from the bathroom.

A moment later Waya follows him and there is another loud slam. “Shindou! Just fuck off!” he shouts as he goes.

It takes a while for Akira to calm down and gather his wits to move. He makes sure there’s no one else in the bathroom before he dares to open the door. “This is just ridiculous,” he thinks but can’t help feeling a bit upset by what he just overheard.

He arrives a little late to the match room and does not even look at Shindou when he passes him. Yet he can feel his rival’s eyes following him as he kneels down behind the goban and politely apologizes to his opponent for the delay. He is not going to let his emotions have an effect on the game but concentrates fully on being here and now and playing the best possible game even if he doesn’t really need to try against the young and pretty pro who seems to be blushing giddily and nervously about being Toya Akira’s opponent. Akira is very kind to her and does his best to make her feel at ease and the girl seems genuinely pleased for Toya-san taking their game so seriously.

***

“What’s wrong with you today?” Shindou asks when they are playing together in the Go-salon later that afternoon. “My mother asked me to invite you for dinner today to return the kindness you’ve shown by inviting me to your place, but I don’t think I can do that if you are acting all weird.”

Akira has felt like avoiding Shindou’s eyes all day, but now he raises his head to meet questioning green eyes full of annoyance.

“And why did you flirt like that with that girl you were playing today? I heard her tell her friend she was expecting you to ask her for a date after the game.”

“I was not flirting with her,” Akira says, starting to feel uneasy about the course their conversation was taking.

“Like hell you weren’t, Toya! I saw you and you’ve never been like that around a girl before.”

Shindou’s voice is getting angry and it makes Akira feel unquestionably heated.

“She is a fairly promising young pro and deserves my respect, whether you like it or not,” Akira says quietly. “Besides maybe you should keep your focus on your own game and stop paying that much attention on what I do with mine.”

Shindou looks very irritated and lets it show in his go which is becoming a fast and violent attack against Toya’s territory.

“Bullshit Toya! Stop being such an arse as if nothing else mattered but your stupid game,” he retorts and Akira feels anger surging inside him.

“And maybe you should just stop expecting that the world whirls around Shindou!” he blurts and he’s shocked by his own words yet somehow pleased to notice that he has knocked Shindou out of words for once. But then Shindou throws a handful of go stones on Akira’s face and jumps up with a violent movement running away from him and there is a strange hollow feeling inside of Akira’s chest as he watches him go.

“Shindou, wait!” he cries but his rival is already out of the door, running so fast that Akira knows he can’t catch him.

“Shit!” Akira says aloud quietly leaning his head on his hands over the goban. “Why do things have to be so difficult with Shindou Hikaru?”

***

Almost an hour later, Akira dials Shindou’s number and feels peculiarly relieved when he hears Shindou’s voice answering on the other side of the line. Akira’s feelings have calmed down but his heart feels heavy with fear that Shindou might reject his offer of peace. But Toya Akira has never let fear prevent him from doing what needs to be done.

“What is it Toya?” Shindou still sounds a bit vexed.

“I’m sorry. Please forgive me… for being an arse.”

The words sound so silly coming from Toya that Shindou can not suppress a little laughter.

“So are you coming tonight?” Shindou reminds him of his mother’s invitation and Akira feels almost happy about the possibility to see Shindou again.

“I will accept the invitation, thank you very much,” Toya says sounding almost formal to hide his excitement. “And Shindou, I really am sorry about what I said earlier. I was feeling a bit distracted after overhearing what Waya said to you in the bathroom this morning.”

“What?! How?!!!”

“See you soon, Shindou.” Akira ends the call deciding that it is better to explain face to face than going to further details in front of a room full of nosey go players.

***

Akira takes a bus to the neighbourhood where Shindou lives and suddenly feels nervous. The area looks peaceful enough in the warm light of the setting sun but Akira feels overwhelmed with the idea of meeting Shindou’s parents and seeing a new, but quite an essential part of his rival’s life. But as Shindou’s mother opens the door and seems polite and friendly and very pleased with the flowers Akira brought for her, he understands that to Shindou’s mother he is just a young boy, not a well known Go pro. The feeling is oddly comfortable. Shindou’s mother apologizes for the absence of her husband but shows her unguarded delight with “one of Hikaru’s friends” visiting them. Shindou seems a bit ashamed of his mother making a fuss about Akira and as soon as they are finished with the dinner he takes Akira up to his room and closes the door firmly behind them.

“Phew, don’t mind her,” he says and Akira assures his rival that it is all right and he does not mind at all.

Shindou’s room is rather small and it looks like a room of any 17 year old boy as far as Akira can tell. There are a few posters on the walls, a bookshelf and Shindou’s bed and next to it by the wall there is a wooden goban that looks quite old. It makes Akira think of Sai. Shindou sits down on the floor leaning his back on his bed and Akira sits down next to him letting his gaze wander around in the room. All the things remind him of Shindou and Akira wonders how it would feel to live in a room like this. How would it feel to be Shindou.

“Would you like to play?” Akira asks pointing at the goban but Shindou declines.

“I’m still too full so why don’t we just sit here for a while. Mother will bring us some tea soon and we can play later.”

Akira tries hard to think about something to say. He is feeling very self-conscious about sitting next to Shindou. Then, Shindou looks at him and somehow it makes the atmosphere turn even more intense in Akira’s mind.

“You really should not care for what Waya said,” Shindou says softly and a bit hesitatingly as if he was trying to find the right words. “He’s just being stubborn because he’s trying so hard to figure us out.”

For a moment Akira contemplates on all the things there could be to figure out about Shindou and him and then he decides to face the consequences of his next move and looks at his rival intently in the eyes.

“And yet, he is right, Shindou,” he says and does not feel as calm inside as he sounds.

“You are not a creep, Toya!” Shindou’s voice is eager and comforting as if he was trying his best to make Akira realize he’s not a loser and Akira wants to laugh a little.

“I actually meant the other thing...”

It takes a moment for the meaning of Akira’s words to sink in and then Hikaru seems to gasp for air yet somehow in Akira’s ears it almost sound like a sigh of relief.

“Akira…” Shindou says with such dreamy tenderness that Toya blinks in amazement and he feels a warm squeeze in his gut when he sees the longing in the other boy’s expression: a longing to get closer, a longing to be touched. And Akira cups Shindou’s face with his hand and makes the movement turn into a caress he has been suppressing for so long. Shindou closes his eyes as Akira’s mouth meets his own and there is electricity and softness and hearts beating like the pa-chi sound of the go stones when you’re playing a speed game. Shindou’s lips open for Akira and Akira feels perfect happiness because Shindou is there, so close to him at last and Akira wants to devour him so completely, make him whimper and merge with him. He wants to get closer to Hikaru, even closer than Sai has ever been. Not only into Shindou’s mind but into his very being.

They are both breathless and hot faced when they hear a knock on the door and Shindou’s mother enters the room carrying a teapot and two cups on a tray.

“I thought you boys must be playing Go by now.” She says joyfully looking a bit puzzled when she notices there aren’t any stones on the goban.

Shindou’s face is blushed and incredulous when he receives the tea tray and then he almost pushes his mother out of the door. Akira feels like laughing, still feeling the rush of adrenaline in his veins.  
“We were just getting to it, mother!” Shindou exclaims. “We were just getting to it.”

-The End-


End file.
